The Memory Keepers (19 page)

54

When Alba got home and hurried up to her bedroom, she found Dolly waiting for her.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap. Dolly didn’t seem surprised to see Alba looking the way she did. She just tilted her head and said in a quiet voice, ‘Your mother called three hours ago to say you were coming home from lunch early.’

‘Traffic,’ Alba said, closing the door behind her.

Dolly watched her. ‘Alba,’ she asked gently, ‘what are you hiding from me?’

Alba bit her lip. ‘Nothing  … ’

‘I know you, and this isn’t like you. What’s the matter?’

Everything!
Alba wanted to say.
I’m being forced to marry some pig of a man and become North’s leading lady, and my friend from South might get captured any moment now by the London Guard and be executed right in front of my eyes.

Instead, all she managed in a tiny, broken voice was, ‘Dolly  …  I’m scared.’

At once, Dolly stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. Her arms encircled Alba in the same warm, safe way they had done time and time again since she was young.

‘I don’t know what to do!’ Alba sobbed suddenly. Tears traced wet lines down her cheeks. Her voice spiralled higher and higher, and she felt herself unwinding with each word. ‘My whole life has been turned upside down!’

Dolly stroked her hair. ‘Tell me what’s happened.’

Alba pulled away, her handmaid’s arms still around her waist. Blinking back tears, she saw the kindness, the fierceness in Dolly’s eyes, and knew then it was time to tell the truth.

‘There’s  …  there’s this boy,’ she said.

Dolly’s eyes widened, but it was only for a moment.

‘He’s from South,’ Alba went on. ‘He’s my friend, and he’s hurt, and he’s wanted by the London Guard.’ Her voice shook. ‘He’s – he’s in a lot of trouble.’

Dolly was still, watching her with her wide, soft blue eyes. It felt like hours before she eventually spoke, but whatever Alba had been expecting to hear, whatever words she’d thought might come out, it was certainly not the one simple question that Dolly asked. A question that both broke Alba’s heart and mended it again all at once.

‘How can I help?’

55

‘Who the eff are
you
?’

‘I’m a friend of Seven’s –’

‘Seven doesn’t have any friends.’

‘Then what are
you
?’

‘His fairy-fucking-godmother. Now get lost, before I call the London Guard.’

‘You’re not going to do that.’

‘Oh, yeah?’

‘Well, since
you’re
wanted for memory-thieving too, Loe, I highly doubt you’re going to want London Guardmen coming to your home.’

A pause so tense it could wedge a door open.

‘
How in the hell d’you know my name?
’

‘As I said, Loe, I’m a friend of Seven’s.’

At the sound of voices, Seven stirred blurrily, rubbing his eyes. He pushed himself up in bed. Or rather, he tried to, but pain spiked through his chest and he fell back, cursing.

He was lying on the thin mattress of Loe and Mika’s bed on the upper deck at the back of the bus. Over the steady rush of rain outside, the two raised female voices floated up from below. Seven peered around in the darkness. By the lantern-light spilling up the stairs from the lower deck he made out a silhouette with a huge frizz of bushy hair peering down over the top of the stairs.

‘Mika?’ Seven called.

She looked round, pressing a finger to her lips. ‘Shhh!’

The voices picked up again.

‘I don’t know who the hell you are or how you know my name, but if you don’t leave by the time I’ve counted to ten, I’m gonna break your neck.’

‘Please calm down, Loe. I’m here to
help
Seven.’

‘One!’

‘His wound needs looking at –’

‘Two!’

‘Could you just tell him his girlfriend sent me?’

‘Thr— wait. What did you just say?’

‘His girlfriend, Alba.’

‘His
girlfriend
?’

Seven slapped a hand to his forehead, letting out a low groan.
Oh, for crying out loud
. Pushing back the blanket covering him, he staggered to the stairs. He winced as he went; each step felt like fire was slicing through his torso.

What the hell was Alba doing sending someone to him? he thought angrily. And why in the eff had she told them she was his
girlfriend
?

‘Loe, it’s fine,’ Seven shouted, starting down the stairs, his next words turning into a shout as he lost his balance and fell.

Someone grabbed him just before his face made contact with the floor. Or rather,
he
grabbed someone, and judging by the sound of their annoyed
oof
as he landed on them, it was Loe.

‘Seven!’ she hissed, scrambling out from under him.

‘Here, let me help you.’

A woman he had never seen before stepped forward. Lantern-light lit her pretty face, all slender cheekbones and large round eyes. She was wearing a long raincoat buttoned up to her neck. Its hood had fallen back to reveal two buns of purple hair twisted on the top of her head.

Smiling, she reached out towards him, but he shrank back.

‘Alba said you didn’t like people helping you,’ she said, a sad look flitting across her eyes.

‘Alba doesn’t know eff all,’ he snapped.

The woman smiled. ‘She also said you were rude.’

‘That
effing
–’

‘And that you like to swear.’

Seven glared. ‘Well, that’s pretty rich, coming from her. She was banging on my door not long ago, and the language coming from that girl’s mouth  … ’

Eyes crinkling, the woman let out a laugh. It was a bright, easy sound, like the pealing of bells. Somehow it made Seven feel as though he could trust her.

‘I can’t imagine who she learnt that language from.’ She tilted her head, expression turning serious. ‘Now, let’s get you back to bed and I’ll see what I can do. Alba told me about your injury. You’ve lost a lot of blood, and it’s possible the wound is infected. And you’ll need a tetanus shot.’

Seven grimaced. ‘Sounds like fun. But you still haven’t said who you are.’

‘I’m Dolly,’ the woman said. ‘Alba’s handmaid.’

Then, without waiting for a reply, she leant down and tucked her shoulder under Seven’s, helping him up from the floor.

‘Oh, just come right in and make yourself at home,’ grumbled Loe as they started past her up the stairs.

For a while, Dolly worked in silence, cleaning Seven’s wound and injecting him with various medicines. Even though it hurt, Seven didn’t cry out or swear even once. He sat topless on the mattress on the upper deck, Dolly beside him. Her fingers worked softly over his skin. From downstairs, the murmur of Loe’s and Mika’s voices sounded over the metallic patter of the rain.

‘You do this a lot, then?’ Seven said eventually. ‘Come to the rescue of all the poor South boys Alba’s made friends with?’

Dolly was smoothing some sort of clear gel over his wound. She glanced up, raising her eyebrows. ‘What do
you
think?’ Finished with the gel, she pulled a pad of white fabric from her medikit and started taping it over his wound. ‘The stitches your friend made are very good,’ she said as she worked. ‘You’re very lucky he was around. If you’d lost any more blood, you might not have made it. Especially in your condition.’

Seven made a scoffing noise. ‘My condition? What’s that meant to mean?’

‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Seven.’

‘Who said I was?’

‘I used to live outside London,’ Dolly said kindly. ‘In the unregulated land to the South. I know what it’s like to be hungry.’

Seven watched her warily as she unrolled a length of gauze, pulling him forward so she could wind it round his chest.

‘You lived outside the city?’ he asked.

Dolly nodded. ‘My family owns a small farm in the Sussex countryside. It was hard, without the established trade from the cities, and in the winter almost everything would freeze over.’ She paused. ‘As I said, I know what it’s like to be hungry. What it’s like to struggle every day to survive.’

‘How did you end up in London?’

‘The same reason everyone else comes to the city. In search of a better life, I suppose.’

‘And you found it with the
White
family?’ Seven said, snorting.

She shot him a hard look. ‘There are worse places to be.’ She finished bandaging his chest, then began returning the equipment she’d used into the box. ‘The Whites have done a lot for me.’

‘Like they’ve done for Alba?’ Seven said sarcastically.

He didn’t know why he was suddenly so angry. He glared at Dolly, something hot and red rushing through his veins.

The medikit shut with a loud metallic snap. Dolly picked it up, standing. Her pretty face had hardened.

‘Seven,’ she began in a cool, stern voice, all pretence of niceness gone. ‘I don’t know what Alba’s told you of her life in North, but believe it or not, her parents
do
love her. They might have a funny way of showing it sometimes, and gods know I don’t agree with half the things they do, but they do it because they think it’s what’s best for her. Can you say the same?’

Seven felt as though he’d been slapped.

‘I know
I
can,’ Dolly continued. ‘Which is why I’m asking you to leave Alba alone.’ Her eyes flashed. ‘I fully understand her need to rebel and, trust me, I’m going to do everything I can to help her out of this arranged marriage. To help her achieve her dreams. But in order to do that, you need to stay away. Whatever the two of you are doing with TMK – it’s too dangerous. She can’t be involved.’

‘You know something about it, don’t you?’ he said through gritted teeth. He took a shaky breath. ‘TMK. You
know
something.’

Dolly looked away. ‘Not really. But Alba’s father often has business meetings at the house. Over the years, there’ve been snatches of conversation  …  From the little I’ve overheard, I know that it’s not something
any
of us should be getting involved with.’ A kinder tone touched her voice as she turned back to him, eyes softening. ‘Alba explained to me about your past, Seven. If you want to continue looking into TMK, then I understand. I cannot stop you. But I
am
responsible for Alba, and so I’m asking you, if you care at all about her – leave Alba out of this.’

She fell silent. Outside, the rain seemed to roar louder, as though the raindrops drumming on the shell of the bus were trying to wash away her words. Seven wished they could be erased from his mind so easily.

Despite himself, Alba had become important to him. He’d let her in. They were friends now. He couldn’t imagine never seeing her again. Just earlier that day, he’d held her hand; they’d run from the London Guard together.

How could he just let her go after all that?

But the worst part of it was, Seven knew, even though he hated to admit it, that Dolly was right.

He looked away. ‘Fine. I won’t see her again.’

‘Thank you,’ Dolly breathed, sounding relieved. She paused. ‘For what it’s worth, I can see why Alba is drawn to you.’ She leant down and kissed him on the cheek before setting something down beside him. ‘Alba wanted me to give you this,’ she said, before turning and disappearing down the stairs.

Seven glanced down. It was a small package, wrapped in embossed gold paper and tied with a ribbon. He didn’t pick it up. He wasn’t going to see Alba again, after all. What was the point? He wouldn’t ever get the chance to say thank you.

Letting out an angry growl, Seven grabbed the package and threw it across the bus. A horrible, sick feeling was swinging through his body. Because he saw suddenly what an idiot he’d been.

What exactly did he think would happen between him and Alba? That they’d sneak out at night to see each other for the rest of their lives? That if their friendship was strong enough, somehow nothing else mattered?

Well, they
couldn’t
sneak out at night to see each other for the rest of their lives, and their friendship
wasn’t
strong enough that nothing else mattered. Seven would never be welcome in Alba’s home, or her life, or her family. Let alone her
heart
. His stomach twisted at this last thought. How stupid had he been to hope that the two of them would be the exception?

Some lines could never be crossed. Some things were always going to be divided.

North and South.

Alba and Seven.

What he wanted; and what he got.

56

She had fallen asleep by the time Dolly got back to the house, exhaustion finally overtaking her worries about Seven. The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. Dolly’s bright voice sounded from above her.

‘Come on, Alba. It’s Monday. You need to get ready for school.’

Alba groaned, rubbing her eyes. She pushed back the tangle of hair that had fallen across her face. It was still half dark outside, the sun taking longer to rise in the mornings as winter came creeping closer. Pale amber light washed her bedroom. The sound of birdsong filtered through the closed windows. It was so peaceful  … 

‘Wait.’

Alba sat bolt upright as she remembered where Dolly had been that night.

‘What happened? Is Seven all right?’

Dolly shook her head. ‘We don’t have time for that now. We need to get you ready for school.’

‘Of
course
we have time! He was bitten by a dog, Dolly, and chased by the London Guard –’

‘Alba! That’s
enough
.’

Dolly had never once raised her voice at her. Alba tensed, staring at her handmaid, who was watching her with a hard, unreadable expression in her eyes. Her heart thrummed in her chest. Everything seemed to go quiet, as though a giant hand had curled down around the room.

She licked her lips. ‘What happened, Dolly?’

With a heavy sigh, Dolly stepped back. She smoothed a hand down her uniform. ‘Seven is well,’ she answered. ‘You don’t need to worry about him. But I don’t think you’ll be seeing him again.’

Alba blinked. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I told him  …  I told him to stay away from you.’

It felt as though she’d been punched straight in the gut. Alba sagged forward, mouth falling open. She let out a low hiss of air.

‘You told him
what
?’

Dolly shook her head. ‘I won’t let you see him again,’ she said, the usual soft blue of her eyes lit with a hard-edged fierceness. ‘It’s not safe! Aside from the fact you’re crossing into South at night and spending time with a boy you hardly know – all of which is risky enough – the two of you are looking into things you shouldn’t be. I don’t know exactly what The Memory Keepers is, Alba, or why your father and the London Guard are involved, but I’ve heard enough to not
want
to know. Anything they’re trying so hard to keep quiet is not something to be prying into. Seven is welcome to continue investigating it if he wants, but I’m not going to let you get involved too.’

Alba was shaking. Uncurling her fists – she hadn’t even noticed she’d been gripping the bedsheets – she placed her hands flat on either side of her. She was trying to steady herself, because this all felt wrong;
surely
this was wrong, a horrible nightmare she would wake from any second.

‘The Memory Keepers,’ she breathed.

Dolly’s mouth tightened. ‘Yes. That’s what TMK stands for. And that’s plenty more than you need to know.’ She reached out an arm. ‘Come on. You’re going to be late for school.’

But Alba shrank back before she could touch her.

‘I expected it from them,’ she said quietly. ‘My parents. They’ve always told me what I can and can’t do. They’ve never let me make my own choices. But you, Dolly  … ’ Her voice broke. ‘I never expected it from you.’

Dolly’s face twisted. ‘Please, Alba. I’m doing this to
help
you.’

‘That’s what they always say,’ Alba whispered, her voice breaking, and she got up and pushed past Dolly to the bathroom before the first of the tears blurring her eyes could fall.

That night, Alba waited until the house was silent before creeping out of her room and down the servants’ staircase. She didn’t care what Dolly thought. Seven needed her. He’d lost his home, all his memories, what little safety he’d had  …  She couldn’t abandon him now.

That’s not what friends did.

A cold, night-time wind on the sloping lawns of the estate met her as she stepped out into the grounds. Her hair twisted and curled in long trails behind her. She buttoned up her coat and pulled her fur cowl tighter round her neck.

It never failed to surprise Alba how quickly the weather changed, even though it had always been this way. There used to be four seasons, the climate in the British Isles steady as it shifted gradually between them. Now, there were just two: summer and winter. The changes were quick and sudden, harshly contrasting. London’s high society celebrated their arrivals with the Summer- and Winter-turn Balls. (
Any chance for an extravagant party
, Alba thought wryly.)

Head lowered against the growling wind, Alba made her way to the part of the fence where she and Seven crossed. As she neared, she spotted a finger of light moving slowly through the darkness. Quickly, she darted behind a cluster of nearby bushes. When she was sure she hadn’t been seen she edged out, peering over the top of the rustling leaves.

It was one of the Hyde Park Estate guards patrolling the perimeter of the fence.

‘Oh, sod it,’ she mumbled.

Alba could try and climb the railings before the guard came back. Without Seven’s help, however, it would take ages to haul herself over, and she’d rather not be found stuck up the top of the fence, her bottom yet again in someone’s face.

But the only other option she had was to go home. Alba didn’t know how much longer Seven would be staying with his friend Loe. He’d said he thought he could trust her, but that she was very grumpy and easily annoyed. That wasn’t a combination that gave Alba much faith; offensive things came out of Seven’s mouth practically every time he opened it. What if he so annoyed Loe that she threw him out? If she didn’t go to him tonight, she might never find him again.

‘Right,’ Alba muttered, nodding to herself. ‘Option number one it is, and god help the poor guard who finds my ginormous bottom waving around in the air.’

But just as she stepped out from behind the bushes, readying herself to run, someone moved out of the darkness.

‘Alba?’ came a familiar voice. ‘What are you doing?’

She turned in horror to see a tall figure stepping towards her.

It was her father.